Apparatus for the conversion of hydrocarbon oil



Nov. 4 1924. 1,514,040

v. L. EMERSON 7 APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBON OIL Filed June 25, 19?.1 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 4 1924.

V. L. EMERSON APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBON OIL 1921 2' Sheets- Sheet. 2

Filed June 25.

- heat to the fresh supply of oil while being supplied to the system under normal opera- Patented Nov. 4, 1924 UNITED sraras rA'rsm' castes.

moron LEE-EMERSON, or rnrminnrirnm, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION OF.EYDROGABBON OIL.

- Application'filed June 25, 1921. Seriall No. 480,418.

, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises improvements in apparatus forthe conversion of h drocarbon oils and the like and is herein 'sclosed in connection with apparatus of the type set forth in my Patent No. 1,367,806 Febru ar 8,1921.

lt is an object ,of my invention to provide means whereby, in the preliminary stages of operation, the oil to treated isbrought to the desired temperature in a rapid and eflicient manner.

It is also an object of my invention to provide means which return to the thermocycle a large amount of heat which otherwisewould be lost during the normal op eration.

A further object is to provide a means by which a return of heat to the thermo-cycle is accomplished by the transmission of such tlOll:

Another object consists in the provision of means by which liquids may be transferred .to the different portions of the system with ease and facility.

Further objects will hereinafter appear in the description.

All these objects are aocom lished in the' apparatus herein disclosed w ich is a preferred form of an embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings Fig; 1 is a vertical elevation,partlyinsection of the apparatus composing part of the system.

Fig. 2 is a general plan view of the system and connected apparatus. I

' At 1, is shown a base receptacle and connected apparatus similar to the base receptacle' disclosed in my patent above referred to. 2, indicates the supply of gaseous products from the secondary still. 3, indicates the impact apparatus with delivery of the products therefrom .into the liquid in the receptacle 1, through the header 4.

At '5, is shown the lower portion of the condensing tower with deliveryof a portion of the condensates therefrom to the base receptacle through a conduit, as shown.

At 6, is shown a tunnel conducting the heated products of combustion from the furnace of the still' 7 to the stack 8. Located in the tunnel 6, is a preheater 9. 10, is a conduit for the supply of fresh oil to be treated: The fresh oil is delivered to the preheater 9 from the conduit 10 at a point 11, near the bottom of the preheater, as

shown. 12, is a conduit leading from the top of the preheater 9 and delivering into the base receptacle 1 at a distance from the bottom thereof, as shown; 13, is a steam operated pump having inlets 14 and 15, and

outlets 16 and 17 A valve controlled conduit 18 connects the inlet 14 with the conduit 10 and a valve controlled conduit 19 connects the inlet 15 with the base receptacle 1 near the bottom thereof, as shown. A valve controlled conduit 20 connects the outlet 17 with the conduit 10 and a valve controlled conduit 21 connects the outlet 16 the conduit 10 for the purposes hereinafter described. g

It will be noted that the conduit 10 declines toward the'rear ofthe preheater 9 and that the preheater 9 inclines toward the base receptacle 1. The position of the parts thus described aids in the production of the circulation by convection hereinafter described.

In the preliminary stages of operation the system is filled with oil toa desired level which, on account of the expansion of the oil, when heated is below the final operating level. The filling level thus described has been found to lie in a plane somewhat below the sight gauge 25,-which indicates under normal 0 ration.

The oil entermg through the conduit 10 may be placed under pressure by means of a pump orby placing the source of oil at a the level :level so as to cause a flow by gravity. During the filling operation the valves 23 and 24 and the valve in theconduit 22 will be open. Oil may thus pass into the receptacle 1 through the conduits 22, 10 and 12. At this time, the valve in the conduit 19 may be opened and the pump 13 actuated so as to draw oil from the base receptacle land feed it-into still 7 through the conduit 21 until the still is filled to the desired level which will be lower than the level when in normal operation due to the expansion of the oil when heated. The level of the oil 'in the still 7 ma beindicated by series of trycocks suita ly positioned thereon.

With the part-s in the position thus described combustion may be started in the furnace of the still 7. The products of combustion passing through the tunnel will pass over the preheater 9 and heat the oil therein. The valves in the conduits 18, 21 and 22, and valve 24 may now be closed and the pump 13 actuated so as to circulate the oil from the base receptacle-1 through the conduits 19, 20 and 10, preheater 9 and conduit 12 back to the base'reoeptacle 1. At this time the valve'in the conduit 20 is opened while during the preliminary fillin it may be closed,'if desired, if the outlet va ve of the pump is not such as to form a positive check.

' Another mode of circulation through the base receptacle 1' and'preheater 9 may be.

accomplished when the oil in the base receptacle has expanded or risen above the inlet of the conduit 12 thereto by convection. \Vhen the circulation is accomplished in this manner the valve in the conduit 22 is opened and the heated oil in the preheater 9 rises through theconduit 12 and passes into the upper art of the base receptacle 1. Being lowere in temperature by heat interchange with the cooler oil therein a convection current is established through the conduits 22 and 10 back to the preheater 9 where the oil is again heated and returned to the base receptacle 1.

This circulation causes the oil in the base receptacle to be heated during the preliminary stage of operation which aids materially in rapidly bringing-the system to normal operation. When the gaseous products in the still 7 reach the r desired pressure they may be admitted through the conduit 2,

jet apparatus 3 and header 4 into the oil in the base receptacle 1. This results. in the rapid heating of the oil therein. Atthis time the valve in the conduit 21 may be opened a d the oil from the base receptacle passed t the still 7. The valve in. the conduit 2O ay then be closed and the pump 13 caused 0 feed the oil from the base recep tacle to the still 7 in normal operation. The actio of the pump 13 in normal operation is controlled automatically by an apparatus not/shown responsive tothe liquid level in the still 7 so as to keep thelevel therein constant. At this time the valve 23 may be opened and fresh oil fed to the system in ac.-

cordance with the quantity demanded for normal operation by regulation of the valve 24. This oil becomes preheated by passing through the preheater 9 before entering the base receptacle 1' through the conduit 12.

- On discontinuing the operation various the main supply or if desired by suitable conduit to a separate reservoir. When it is desired to withdraw the contents of the preheatcr 9* the valve 23 may be closed and V I the valve in the conduit 19 closed and the valve in the conduit 18 opened. The liquid in the preheater 9 will then be drawn through the conduits 1'0- and 18 by the pump 13 and forced back through the conduit 10 to the main supply or described. The declining portion of the preheater 9 and the location of the end of the conduit which is at the point 11 near the bottom thereof permits a thorough Withdrawalof the liquid in the preheater.

In the normal operation the base receptacle 1 acts as a primary still since the oil delivered thereto in a preheated condition is further heated by the heat interchange which takes place between it and the gaseous products issuing from the header/1. This results in the separation, in the gaseous form, from the oil thus introduced, those constituents which are vaporizable' at the temperature at which the liquid in the base receptable 1 is maintained. The gaseous products of this heat interchange pass to the condensing tower mounted on the base receptacle in which they are subjected to fractional condensation and a portion of the condensates returned to the base receptacle. The mixture of oil condensates, the latter being formed both by fractional condensation in the tower and upon contact of the gaseous products of distillation from the still 7 with the cooler oil in the base receptacle 1, are fed to the still 7 where they are further subjected to distillation under heat and pressure. The still 7 therefore acts as a secondary still with reference to the separate reservoir as conduit for sup-plying oil to said still, said still having a receptacle for the reception of said oil, a valve controlled conduit connecting said supply conduit with a lower portion of said receptacle, a preheater connected with said supgly conduit, and a conduit connecting sai preheater with the upper portion of said receptacle. 2. In an apparatus of the class. described,

' in combination, a still, a valve controlled ception of conduit for supplying oil to said still, said still having a base receptacle for the. re-

said oil, a preheater connected with said supply conduit, a conduit connecting said preheater with said receptacle,

a pump connected with said receptacle and with said supply'conduit adapted Ito circulate the oil from said receptacle through said preheater and conduits back to said receptacle.

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

in combination, a. primary still, a conduit for supplying oil to said primary still, said primary still having a base receptacle for the reception nected with said supply conduit, a conduit connecting said preheater with said receptacle, a secondary still, and a pump connected with said receptacle and secondary still adapted to transfer the oil from. said receptacle to said secondary still.

4. In an apparatus of the class described,

in combination, a primary still, a secondary of said oil, apreheatercom as to permit said pump to transfer the oil in said receptacle to said secondary still and circulate oil from said receptacle to said preheater and back to said receptacle separately or simultaneously with-the transfer of oil to said secondary still.

5; In an apparatus of the class described,

in combination, a still, a conduit for supply-' ing oil to said still, said still having a base receptacle for cuit, a conduit connecting said preheater the reception of said oil, a preheater connected with said supply con-' with said receptacle, a conduit connecting said supply conduit with said'receptacle, a pump having a plurality of inlets and outlets, a conduit connecting said receptacle with an inlet of said pump, a conduit connecting an outlet of said pump with said supply conduit, a conduit connecting an inlet of said pump with said supply conduit and valves in said conduits so arranged as to permit said pump to circulate the oil in said receptacle to said preheater and back-to said receptacle or withdraw the oil from saidreceptacle and preheater and eject it though said supply pipe.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in'the presence,

day of June 1921; I p

' VICTOR LEE Er/LERsoN.

Witnesses:

- E. A. Jonas, F. A, Corn.-

of two subscribing witnesses, this fifteenth 

